


Howling for Help

by JustClem



Series: Buzz [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumblebee - Freeform, Emotional tensions, F/F, Hidden Feelings, Iceflower, Mutual Pining, RubyxWeiss, Whiterose, YangXBlake, sexual tensions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 02:59:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19286746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustClem/pseuds/JustClem
Summary: Blake opened her eyes with a start when she sensed someone draping something on her shoulders, but eased herself when it was just Yang, who was leaning down at her and was close. Very close. "Yang, what-""You'll get sick if you don't cover yourself."Gentle fingers ghosted against her ribs. Blake watched as those blonde locks kept dangling in front of her, as those small puffs of air formed every time she released a breath.~Blake's feelings towards her partner have been growing for some time, but against all odds, she's kept it under wraps. All is well... until that fateful night where the White Fang mission went wrong. Where everything went wrong. Now, she has something else to keep under wraps. Something far deadlier.





	Howling for Help

_Why was she in such pain?! This- this wasn't any normal pain, she was sure of it! She'd taken far heavier hits before, and it still didn't hurt this much!_

_No- This was- This was a foreign pain. And it- it didn't even come from the cuts or her head. It came from…_ within.

* * *

 

Yang squinted her eyes as she looked through the binoculars.

A small, abandoned warehouse… at least it _looked_ abandoned with all of those cracked windows…

"Well… it looks like the White Fang might be in there…" she mused before pulling down the binocular, letting it dangle loosely around her neck, turning to look at her partner.

She scrunched up her face instantly. Blake was leaning against a tree, her coat swaying as her hands worked at her weapon.

She was counting her ammo _on_ their mission. That was unusual.

Blake always made sure that everything was prepared _before_ a mission so she wouldn't have to worry when she was in the middle of it. So why would she…?

 _Maybe she's just worried,_ the reasonable part of herself said. _This is the first partner-only mission we took; why wouldn't she take extra precautions?_

If Yang were being honest, she was scared too. For a first mission the two of them were assigned to, it was… a little extreme. She didn't know the exact details of it, worrying about the specifics was her partner's department, but…

It had something to do with the White Fang, and… _Maybe that's why Goodwitch gave us this mission…_ Yang's eyes drifted upwards, where Blake's bow used to be.

"The White Fang _is_ in there, Yang." She didn't need to look back at the faunus to know she was smirking a Cheshire smile.

Yang looked back down again. Without the binoculars, the supposedly-intimidating warehouse looked so small. In fact, all of the buildings looked small. She supposed that was how things looked like when you were on top of a hill.

Yang took a few steps forward, putting her hands on her hips and taking a big, long, satisfying breath, feeling a smile effortlessly crawling into her face.

"You know, despite this being a serious mission and all, I can't help but enjoy the view."

Maybe it was the lights shining from all the buildings around the dark city, creating a twinkle of light that reminded her of the stars.

Maybe it was the hill they were atop of, that made them see the night in a different light; a more beautiful, serene light.

"Me too."

Maybe it was the beautiful girl behind her, who stared at her right in the eye as she spoke, making Yang wonder - as her cheeks were tinted red - just what her partner had meant by that.

The breezy wind blew their face. Yang cursed and tried to fix her now messy hair, but stopped in her tracks when she heard a hiss leaving her partner's mouth.

Blake was, obviously, cold. Even after wearing a jacket, _and_ a scarf, _and_ a pair of gloves, it was night; Winter night. Her teeth chattered, her shoulders hunched forward as she vigorously hugged herself, making her appear smaller than she really was. Not to mention she had a slightly red nose.

Wordlessly, she took off her coat. She never needed it, the cold never bothered her anyway.

Blake opened her eyes with a start when she sensed someone draping something on her shoulders, but eased herself when it was just Yang, who was leaning down at her and was close. Very close. "Yang, what-"

"You'll get sick if you don't cover yourself."

Gentle fingers ghosted against her ribs. Blake watched as those blonde locks kept dangling in front of her, as those small puffs of air formed every time she released a breath.

"What about you?"

Yang's chuckle vibrated. "Blake, have you forgotten that I'm the human equivalent of a portable heater?" She hadn't. That didn't stop her from worrying. "I'll be fine, Blake. Really." The tone was softer, meant to ease her nerves.

Blake looked up at the girl who was only slightly taller than her and slowly nodded. The blonde quickly leaned back, clapping her hands together as she stood proudly, leaning her body weight onto one side. "Great!"

The faunus gripped the collar of the coat and pulled it closer to her, noting that it smelled like fresh lemons and peaches; like Yang.

"How did you know?"

Blake blinked and looked up. She had spaced out, it seemed. Guiltily, she asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Yang didn't seem offended or even concerned. She flashed her that familiar warm smile. "I asked how you were able to find this place. It's miles away from Beacon, after all."

"Sun."

Yang pressed her lips together. "You've been talking to him?"

Blake tilted her head as if it was a strange thing to ask. "He's my friend."

Yang's frustration bubbled, but she tried to let it go through letting out a deep breath, causing a puff of air to appear in front of her.

"Yang?"

"Nothing," she lied. "It's nothing…"

Yang gave Blake the binoculars. Her partner was the one with night vision, meaning no matter how well she could see at night, Blake could always see better.

She sat down on the grassy ground. Watching Blake fiddle with Gambol Shroud made her want to check and see if her _own_ weapon was armed and ready.

Yeah… That was what she was doing… That was what she wanted Blake to see; her blonde partner, goofing around, not at all thinking about the faunus in a non-platonic way…

Yang looked up at Blake. Those amber eyes were shining so brightly, so mysteriously. Her hair flew down majestically like a waterfall. Her skin was porcelain-pale and looked smooth… so smooth…

She regretted looking up.

_She's your teammate._

Yang had always wanted to know what her lips tasted like, how it felt to run her fingers through the girl's dark tresses, to have their noses bumping each others'.

_She's your partner._

To cuddle with her in bed. To be able to hear her heartbeat so closely. To be able to call Blake 'mine'.

_She's your best friend._

Yang forcibly cocked back Ember Celica into their bracelet form. She didn't even know if the ammo were full. She didn't care, either. She let her back softly hit the ground… the grass tickled.

Her life had been going perfectly fine. They'd put Roman Torchwick behind bars for good, nobody had gotten hurt, and they'd had loads of fun in the tournament.

Everything seemed well…

If not for the fact that she harbored a massive crush on Blake Belladonna for who knew how long.

Yang draped one arm across her face, blocking her vision.

And it wasn't just _any_ crush either, it was the kind of crush that didn't go away for months. Even when she kept telling herself all the things that could go wrong with pursuing a relationship with her teammate _and_ best friend _and_ partner, the feelings stayed, if not, _grew._

And… honestly… she couldn't blame herself…

Why _wouldn't_ she like Blake? The girl was amazing in so many ways! She was super smart, she was mysterious, she was witty, she was sarcastic, and- just- _argh!_

It was hard not to like Blake that way…

Yang didn't realize what kind of feelings she had for Blake until it was too late.

Hell, with all the things that had been going on in her life, she was so busy she didn't even know _when_ she developed these feelings.

It just sort of… happened.

Yang undraped her arm, eyes widening when she saw Blake staring down at her, her chin lifted up in amusement. Her cheeks reddened. "What? It's late!" Blake smirked. Yang scowled. "Aren't we supposed to be kicking ass by now?"

Blake's smile faded and she looked away, glancing at the direction of the so-called suspicious warehouse. She had a poker face - the kind she wore on missions.

The time for jokes was over, it seemed.

"No, Goodwitch's orders were to find the base's location."

Yang stood up, crossing her arms, not because of the chill of the night.

"And…?" She raised an eyebrow expectantly, leaning forward ever-so-slightly.

Blake's eyes narrowed in focus - they looked like slits, giving her this… predatory vibe.

"The mission is to observe until we can confirm that this is the base of a small White Fang branch… then we report back immediately." Blake glanced over her shoulder and at Yang knowingly. "No explosions."

Yang pouted, her shoulders slumping. "Aww… man."

"No fighting, either."

Yang pouted harder. "Aww, Man!"

That just wasn't fair. What kind of a mission was this again?! And why should _she_ come if there were none of those stuff?!

"Otherwise, she'd send the entire team - maybe two."

That... was a good point.

"Ugh, fine." She shook away her frown when a - rather important - question popped into her head. "How do you suppose we do that?"

Yang tilted her head, curious. Blake hummed at her before answering, "We just have to confirm that the White Fang's been hiding in there."

Yang massaged her temples, still not quite understanding what all of _this_ was. She knew Blake loved to be mysterious and all, but sometimes she could be _too_ vague for her own good. "What? So, stuff like masks, or guns, or-"

Blake's ear flicked, her head snapped towards the warehouse. Yang followed her gaze soon after.

It was a little hard to see without the goggles and it being night, but the blonde could see that there were two silhouettes of people walking- no, _rushing_ into the entrance of the building.

"... Or two shady-looking dudes going inside the building." Yang cocked her head at her partner, asking, "That enough proof for ya?"

Now that she looked more closely, there were silhouettes of two people standing near the door, too.

Were they… _guarding_ the entrance?

Blake looked away, her face partly hidden within her scarf, revealing only her eyes. "No. We have to be able to confirm that it's the White Fang."

"Okay…" Yang's feet moved on their own. "Let's get inside then."

A hand grabbed her elbow, causing her to stop. She looked back, finding Blake's frightened gaze. "No, we can't, it might be too dangerous."

What? No, it wasn't. This was just a smaller, less dangerous branch of the White Fang, right? If they could handle the regular White Fangs, then they could definitely handle _these_ downgraded versions of them.

Blake's eyes found Yang's again.

A silent question was asked.

Blake looked at her pleadingly, biting her lip. She swallowed and shook her head again.

Lilac eyes widened as she realized… "You got a hunch."

Blake's hesitant nod confirmed it.

Yang's gaze flickered between the building and her partner, her brows furrowing more and more. It was stupid of Blake to think Yang would believe her, especially with nothing more than a gut feeling…

Yang nodded at Blake with steady eyes. "Fine. Then what will we do?"

Blake looked relieved that she was willing to give up so easily, but she recovered quickly, her face adopting familiar stern features.

"We wait."

There was another breeze, a stronger one. Blake didn't bat an eye and absent-mindedly tucked herself more into Yang's coat.

Yang tried not to make a big deal out of it.

* * *

 

It took them some time to figure out where they could stalk - or, as Blake preferred to put it; observe - the potentially dangerous base.

In the end, they settled to wait in a small coffee shop right in front of the warehouse.

Yang had gawked at the idea, pointing out the part where it was _right in front of the (potentially) enemy's base_ , but Blake explained that no one could see their weapons - Blake's were strapped to her back and hidden underneath her coat, while Yang's were in her bracelet form - thus, they could pass as two girls hanging out late at night… nothing unusual.

Hiding in plain sight, basically.

Blake took a small sniff at the fabric that she was wearing. It smelled wonderful, just like Yang.

Yang…

Who had given her this coat without a second thought.

The brawler had always been kind to her, but then again, she was kind to everybody - always willing to lend a hand, putting others before herself.

Yang's kindness adored her, but… it also confused her.

More than once, she wondered if Yang was doing this just because she was nice or… maybe there was something _more_ …

 _Don't be ridiculous_ , the rational part of her mind had always chastized, reminding her that Yang was _Ruby Rose's_ sister, so she's bound to want to help others.

She wondered if Yang would've given the coat if it wasn't she who was freezing…

"Here."

She looked up from her seat, finding Yang holding two drinks, extending one towards her.

"But, the mission-"

Yang shook her head. "The mission won't matter when you catch hypothermia, now, will it?" Blake shot her a glare. She would _never_ catch such a disease so easily. She was a _huntress_. The brawler didn't cower at her glare, if anything, she looked amused. "Plus, aren't we supposed to blend in and look like two normal girls? What kind of teenagers go to a coffee shop and _not_ buy anything?"

Blake doubted the White Fang would care whether or not they ordered their drinks… but… the with the way Yang was looking at her now, so hopeful…

"Fine," she sighed, taking the cup and looking away when she saw her partner breaking into a grin.

Yang took a seat in front of her, sipping her own drink, while Blake looked through the window on her side, where she saw two people standing at the entrance of the door.

They were guards, even if they didn't look like much. The way they stood and jolted at every little sound confirmed it. They also hid their faces in their hoodie, so it was hard to tell what they looked like or even their gender and age or, most vitally, whether or not they were faunus.

The first time Yang had seen them, she'd quickly took a bunch of pictures, nodded as if she was proud of her work, then turned at Blake, declaring, "Okay! Mission over, let's go home so I can sleep in!"

Blake had argued that they couldn't just do that, and Yang had countered that they just did.

Blake had made a point that they could be _regular_ guards, taking care of a _regular_ building.

They needed more evidence, ones that were _concrete_. This was their responsibility.

Those points were what had put Yang to her senses. And now, here they were.

Blake took a sip from her drink, humming in delight when she realized this was Earl Grey tea; her favorite.

And, again, she had to wonder if this was just her partner trying to be a good friend or-

"So, what's so special about this branch?"

Blake swallowed her tea a little too quickly. "What?"

Yang scoffed and looked at her intently. Her partner was feigning innocence, and she didn't buy it.

"Oh, come on, don't give me that. If there's nothing special, then why are we miles away from Beacon?" They were practically on the outskirts of Vale. "You don't just travel this far if you just happen to hear about it." It would make sense if they were to start investigating someplace near Beacon, but nope! Here they were.

Yang might not be as smart as Blake or Weiss, but she was no idiot either.

She observed her side, through the window, at their supposed-mission.

"Something's up here. And you know why otherwise you won't be so worked up."

Blake looked away, unable to look at Yang and keep away her blush. She buried half of her face in her mug, not really drinking. "It… I'm not 'worked up'."

To her annoyance, Yang snorted. "Uh huh… _Sure_ you're not. And that's exactly why Goodwitch gave us - more specifically, you - this mission and not, like, oh, I don't know, _anybody_ _else_?"

There was no malice in her partner's words. Yang had never shown any malice, not when it came to her. There was only an acute observation, mixed in with the-ever-useful sarcasm.

Yang was fiddling with the straw as she drank her own drink. It smelled like a sort of soda…

"How did you find out?" she had to ask. "About me knowing this?"

Blake tried to look uninterested when Yang looked at her. She frowned when Yang raised an amused eyebrow at her.

The blonde chuckled, leaning forward. "You might have just found out about this place _now_ , but you've been worked up for the past few days. I haven't seen you read a book in, like, two days! And it's not just me- everyone knows, too." She looked down at her drink as she muttered, "Come to think of it, maybe that's why Glynda assigned us on this mission…"

Blake could only gawk at her… She _had_ been researching and trying to find more about this base for a couple of days. She'd made sure not to let it become an obsession like last time too, to not forget to eat and sleep and interact with her friends…

Yet still… Everyone knew…

Blake… wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Yang grinned at her triumphantly. "So, spill the beans."

Blake's ears perked up as she stared at Yang's challenging eye, making sure that absolutely _no one_ was eavesdropping on her.

Only when she was certain did she begin by saying, "The White Fang is dangerous-"

Yang laughed but winced when she was being glared at. "Sorry, it- just- … sorry."

Blake's glare stayed for a couple of seconds before she gave with a sigh.

"... They're dangerous, but, as vague and twisted as they may be they have limits. They don't just _do_ crime anymore." Now _that_ certainly caught Yang's attention. "After what happened at the Breach, they've learned their lesson, I think."

Yang blinked once. Twice. She gripped her drink a little tighter. "Lesson?"

Blake looked at her with no hesitation. "To not be reckless. To not try to follow just any man - but those who earned their leadership." She took a sip of the drink. Yang did too and tried not to worry too much about her partner. "For the past few months," Blake continued, "their activities have actually gone less aggressive, and more predictable…"

Blake knowingly looked to her side.

The pieces were put together.

"... Except for this branch," she realized with wide eyes, her grip slackening.

Blake nodded at her again, but then her eyes widened and she looked at the side. Yang did so as well.

Her eyes narrowed.

The two guards were standing near each other. One of them was communicating through the walkie-talkie while the other listened.

Yang turned to Blake, wondering, "Can you hear what they're saying?"

A dejected shake of the head answered her question.

Yang bit her lip again as she saw the first guard putting back the device in his pocket before they both stayed guard again, returning to their original position.

_Yeah… like that wasn't suspicious._

She turned to her partner again, who looked to be deep in thought.

"You were saying?"

Blake blinked a couple of times as if pulled away from a trance. She looked at Yang sheepishly and uttered a small "right" before straightening her posture. "This branch is different. _Too_ different. They've strayed too much from the White Fang that they themselves don't want anything to do with it. And... it's not just that…"

Yang had to ask. "What else is there?"

Blake pulled out her scroll, playing with it before she gave it to Yang. The screen was filled with a profile of a faunus woman who looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. But that wasn't what caught her attention.

No, it was the big bold letters attached to the picture; Missing, it said.

"This. This is what's different." Yang slid the screen and, to her horror, it was another missing faunus. She slid it again, and again, and again, and there were more missing faunus. "The White Fang don't normally recruit middle-aged faunus, especially not those with no fighting experience whatsoever."

Yang momentarily looked away from her partner's scroll to look at the owner, giving her a nervous grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Err, I didn't realize there was an age limit."

Blake shook her head vehemently. "No, you don't understand. Age _does_ come into factor in regards to recruitment. Younger people tend to be fueled with more passion, more energy, more hatred, so it's-"

"-easier to get _them_ to join," Yang finished.

A distant but loud yell caught their attention. Looking at the targeted place, they found that one of the guards were yelling at the other, before they stormed into the place, leaving the other guard alone.

Yang swallowed, wondering what the guard could've been furious about.

"This… This is just normal people." Yang looked back to her partner, frowning at how sad and resigned she looked. Her drink was cold and abandoned, and she looked into nothingness, eyes gazing down at her lap. "Why would they want to recruit civilians? Better yet - why would _civilians_ want to join the White Fang? These people have jobs, families… Why would they…?"

Yang was tense as she gazed down on her partner's scroll. All of these faunus… It didn't make sense.

"That is weird…" she mused, catching Blake's eyes when she gave the scroll back. "So we're not just dealing with the White Fang - we're dealing with this weirder branch of it, the branch that the White Fang itself… hates, I guess."

Blake winced at the oversimplification, stiffly nodding. "That's… one way to put it…"

Yang leaned back, taking a small sip of her drink before rubbing her chin as the gears in her head turned. Blake smirked at the cute pout the brawler adopted as she was thinking, but it vanished when Yang drew her own conclusion.

"But the branch is small, _too_ small for it to be considered a serious threat, hence why Glynda wants us and only us to investigate. If this were the real White Fang, she'd have sent, like, dozens of professional huntsmen."

Silence enveloped the table for quite a while, the reality of the situation dawning on the blonde, at last.

Suddenly, Yang barked a laugh, startling the cat faunus.

"What?"

The blonde shook her head and held out her two hands, showing that she meant no offense. "It's just- can't believe you managed to figure this out all on your own." Yang leaned close, eyes twinkling in delight as she smiled that gorgeous smile. "Like, you're insanely genius, Blakey!"

Blake's mouth was dry and her heart was beating so fast.

She tried not to think about how proud and happy Yang looked when speaking about her as if her words were the truth. One that she seemed to be proud of.

She tried not to think of the fondness emanating from Yang when she called her name and muttered, "Sun helped…"

Yang's smile faded slightly, but before Blake could think more of it, she flashed her an even brighter grin.

"Yeah. With finding out _where_ the base is. Figuring out that there _is_ a base in the first place, though - that was all you." Yang chuckled, taking a sip of her drink as she shook her head. "What'd I do without you, Blakey?"

"You'd do fine, Yang, stop doubting yourself too much," she chastised with a light scowl. It disappeared when she looked up thoughtfully. "And… It's not all that hard… You just have to know where to ask. And how to ask the right questions to the right people. They won't just speak if you blatantly ask where the enemy's hiding - but if you ask questions such as 'Has there been any recent people missing?' or 'Has there been any rumors regarding the enemy?', you might get the answer you're looking for. And you have to get to know the area to know where they could possibly hide."

Yang, who had been listening intently in awe and admiration, perked up at one detail of Blake's speech. "You _know_ this area?" Awe and admiration were replaced by disbelief and a sense of overprotectiveness.

Blake gave her a sly, knowing look. "That's where Sun helped."

"Ah." Yang blinked, then tilted her head to the side. She looked like an adorable child. "Yeah, I only got, like, half of it-" she broke into an adorably happy grin "-but thanks for the lesson, Miss Belladonna!"

Blake gave a grin of her own and opened her mouth to retort-

There were loud noises. Shouts and yells and the sounds of something heavy falling.

The last guard rushed into the source of all that noise.

They all came from the warehouse.

They found each others' eyes, each filled with a sense of dread, fear, but most of all…

Determination.

It was Yang who spoke first.

"Think it's a good idea to get in _now_?"

* * *

 

_She leaned forward, squinting her eyes at the reflection disbelievingly._

No… No, that- that can't be…

But it's- it's there…

No, no, I must be dreaming…

_She pinched her cheek. Nothing happened._

What-? But… How…

This- This must be some kind of joke-

There's no way- No fucking way…

_But it was no joke, and she knew that._

This… This is real…

_What she was seeing through her reflection…_

_What was swishing back and forth rapidly - almost nervously - behind her…_

_Something that wasn't there before, not before that overwhelming pain…_

A tail.

* * *

Her landing was safe and soundless as she jumped through the window. When her feet touched the platform, she lowered her body into a crouch. She couldn't afford to have anyone see her, after all.

One would think that jumping into a building like this was insane and dangerous, but when the only other way of getting inside was through a guarded front door… you really had no choice.

Blake's eyes squinted as she tilted her head to look back on the window again, catching the distinctive figure of her partner - the thick mane that glowed in the night sky couldn't have belonged to anyone else and the choice of outfit that was too revealing for the frosty weather.

She motioned for Yang to come forward.

Yang gave a thumbs-up for the world to see.

 _Shit._ Worried, Blake peeked down at the entrance. _If they see her…_

She sighed when none of the guards looked up at either she or her partner.

 _Well… we are pretty high up._ They were in the upper level of the warehouse, close to being an attic, even.

Blake knew that Yang wasn't stupid - she got into Beacon off her own merit, that had to count for _something_ \- but she did have a tendency to lean towards the slightly more 'showy' entrances as opposed to the more favorable and practical one, even when she didn't want to…

Blake moved aside when the blonde took comically large steps back. Her ears picked up the sound of running footsteps… which was then replaced by a faint but noticeable sound of a high-pitch shriek of a teenage girl as Yang leaped.

A figure burst through the window, and, with the swiftness of a ninja, Blake caught her partner by the jacket before she fell, grunting and gripping the heavy girl with all her might.

Yang almost screeched again when she saw just _how fucking high up they were_ and the fact that _she almost fucking fell fifty or so feet down_ and only managed to clamp her mouth shut out of sheer fear of being found out.

She waited for the eventual pain that would come… and blinked her eyes open when it never came.

She found a pair of struggling amber eyes.

"Oh… Blake… Did you… Did you land on your feet?" Yang was shoved away. Thankfully, she managed to regain her balance and _not_ fall, this time. Blake was unimpressed by her totally _awesome_ joke, it seemed. "Thanks for catching me, though," she tried with her charming grin. Her response was a glare and a roll of the eyes.

 _Heh,_ she thought. _What a grumpy kitty…_

_Wait, is that discriminatory…?_

_I'll probs ask someone about it._

… _I should really pay attention before Blake does something reckless again._

"So, what's the verdict, doc?" she joked as she walked towards Blake, who was crouching, looking down to where a bunch of people were talking loudly to one another.

Yang's eyes widened.

Weapons were being placed on the tables. Some were held. And they all had one thing in common; they were all Faunus and they wore white masks with red stripes.

 _They're… They're the White Fang… Oh, shit,_ Yang quickly fished out her Scroll, taking a bunch of pictures and sending it to Goodwitch alongside their location with no hesitation.

Yang took a few silent steps, trying to look more closely.

Though she had neither night vision or superb hearing, she could clearly see one of the shelves lying down on the floor, and hear the hushed, upset whispers between each member.

There were a total of ten, maybe fifteen of them. And they seemed to be in distress.

"What do you think they're arguing about?" Yang asked, staring levelly at her partner.

Blake's eyes narrowed in thought and in more - in something the blonde didn't like. "I… I'm not sure…"

Seconds ticked by. Blake didn't make a move to retreat. She kept observing the organization. The organization she used to be a part of. The organization she'd been struggling to find for days. The organization she wanted to know _more_ about…

A pit of dread grew in Yang's stomach.

"Blake…? We're done here, right?"

Blake couldn't answer. How could she? This was- This was something different, and potentially dangerous. She _needed_ to know what this was. Why were they shouting? What had caused the shelf to go down? Did something happen? If so, then what?

Thousands of questions lingered in her head, clouding everything else. She knew the kinds of danger curiosity could lead to, but…

This was the White Fang. Or worse, this was an organization _using_ the White Fang's name to do things that… that…

They had weapons. They were faunus. But they _weren't_ the White Fang…

They were…

They were something _worse_ …

She needed to find out. She _had_ to.

"Fine… Let's do this."

Blake snapped her head to look at her partner, aghast. "Wait, what?"

Yang was indifferent. She wore a half-smirk and shrugged almost helplessly. "What? You have that face, that one where you're in the 'Blake Zone'." She blinked at the weird phrasing. Yang laughed. "You obviously want to find out more about what these guys are up to."

Blake blinked again, her bow-less ears twitching almost rapidly in confusion.

"You're... not gonna try and stop me?"

Yang leaned back and looked up. "It wouldn't work anyway," she said in a low whisper. "Plus," she turned to Blake, pumping her fists together, wearing that all-too-familiar confident grin, "you know how much I've been itching for a good fight. This'll be a good way for me to blow off some steam _if_ we end up fighting."

Yang's confidence increased when Blake gave her that trusting smile. Her heartbeat also increased - in speed - when her partner put her hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a little.

"Thank you, Yang."

Yang pretended not to be flustered and waved a hand carelessly. "Yeah, yeah." Her smirk returned, one that managed to be carefree _and_ serious. "So, what do you need?"

Blake observed her situation.

It would be nearly impossible for her to sneak in with that many guards cramped up in a rather small place… even if no one would see her, _there still begs the question of what it is I'm looking for exactly…_

Yang watched as the gears in Blake turned.

Suddenly, amber eyes lit up and even before Blake spoke, Yang knew she had an objective and a plan in mind.

"A distraction."

* * *

 

The guards stopped their whisperings when they heard a noise coming from the outside. One that sounded like it belonged to a teenage girl.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please, I need help. I'm lost."

They blinked and looked at each other, suspicions growing. This place was abandoned to the public eye, why would anyone try to look for _people_ here?

When the girl shouted more and more "Please"s and "Help"s, they realized they needed to confront this… nuisance.

They sent two of their men outside the entrance, raising their respective eyebrows at the peculiar sight of a girl with wild yellow hair wearing a large coat that covered her body. They scowled when she realized she was a human.

Of course, only a human would be dumb enough to try to step foot into this place…

They, members of a deadly, _human-hating_ organization, had found a lost girl in a place where no one would hear or see them.

If there was one word they'd use to describe this girl… it would be helpless.

One of them - the bigger, older one who was a bear faunus - stuck an intimidating pose and grunted, "You shouldn't be here, Kid. This is private property."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I thought this place was abandoned." The two of them narrowed their eyes. _Stuck-up human._ The human girl winced from their _deadly_ gazes. "Oh, umm, this is gonna sound sorta... weird, but… can I... crash here for a while?"

The bear yelled a roaring "What?!" while the other - a rabbit faunus - could only stare at her with a hanging jaw, his large ears twitching. _Just who is she?_

The human winced harder. "Yeah, my sister and I are orphans, so we don't have any food or drinks or shelter, so can I stay here for the night?"

Was… was that supposed to make them sympathetic for this low-life human?

The other members began to surround them, wanting to be a spectacle of this unusual interaction.

"What about your sister?" the bear member asked, suspicious.

"Oh, don't worry about it, she's at Beac- dead!" she suddenly snapped, startling the two of them a little. "Yeah! She's dead! It's just me, all alone, with no sister! There is no sister! Or partner!"

"Wait- partner?"

"Exactly!" The human nodded quite vigorously. "No partner! Unless…" She turned towards the younger guard, eyes gleaming with a sense of knowing as she leaned towards him. He could only stare at her and notice just how hot she was… for a human. "Unless you want me to be your partner?... Just for the night?"

It took all of his willpower to keep himself from saying "Hell yeah!"

The older guard rolled his eyes and scoffed disgustedly. He then realized that… she posed no harm. She was just a helpless human girl. She wouldn't try anything, much less in a place _filled_ with their kind. The other faunus obviously wanted to do things with her, as well…

"... Fine. You can stay." Not like it _mattered_ anymore. Not like anybody _cared_ anymore. He grabbed her by the collar, pulling her much shorter body up so she could look at him dead in the eyes. "But if you tell _anyone_ about us, you're _dead_."

There was no ounce of fear in the girl's lilac eyes, yet she creased her brow and whimpered, "Oh, oh no, that is scary…I am… scared shitless…"

Oh, he _really_ hated this human.

* * *

 

Luckily, the cold wasn't so bad indoors. Blake hadn't shivered once, even though she wasn't wearing Yang's coat.

She missed the soft and cozy fabric of her partner's coat, but as reluctant as she was to give it back, she knew it was the right thing to do; Yang needed to hide her bracelets _and_ the fact that she was immune to the cold due to her semblance, and wearing a cloak would do just that.

Plus, Yang's outfit was too... _revealing_ to have looked normal…

Blake scoffed when she heard Yang using a more high-pitched, squeaky, weak voice.

_You're overdoing it, Yang._

How had she had come across such a dramatic partner, again? Worst of all; how had she come to like her?

But the distraction worked - as crazy at it seemed - and that was all that mattered… in fact, the distraction worked _really_ well when half of the members walked outside to check for the commotion, leaving only six or so guards.

She shook her head. _Yang, you beautiful, reckless idiot._

Blake made no sound as she slipped through the shelves and corridors, using her surroundings to mask her shelves.

Blake didn't move around the shadows.

She _was_ the shadow.

With so few guards actually being inside of the building, and all of their focus distracted by the odd blonde human who insisted she stayed at this dangerous place filled with criminals, it was easy for her to get to her objective:

What _might_ be considered a secret door if it wasn't so badly-hidden.

Nonetheless, doors that were intended to be hidden meant that they had things to hide.

Secrets.

And Blake intended to find it all out.

She opened the door - relieved that it wasn't locked - but failed to take a step. Not yet.

She wanted to make sure her partner was alright first before she went in.

To her relief, Yang was doing fine. Sort of. Her partner was… improvising. The other guards didn't seem to believe her story… but they weren't suspicious either, not really. They were all just confused. And she supposed it was better than suspicion.

Her eyes widened when Yang leaned towards one of the guards suggestively, smirking in a way that promised indecency.

Her heart ached and her body burned. Blake gritted her teeth but forced herself to calm down and look at the reality of the situation. She was in the middle of a mission. She had no time for this… _whatever this is._

 _It's only part of the distraction,_ she told herself realistically. _Nothing more._

After all, as flirtatious as Yang could be at times, even she had standards. Blake knew for a fact that criminals were obviously beneath those standards.

Blake gulped and fully opened the door, revealing stairs that led down into the abyss.

She took one soundless step. Then another. Then another.

_Down to the rabbit hole, we go._

Even her night vision didn't allow her to see as clearly as she'd liked. The stairs never stopped appearing. She was going further down than she'd liked. It scared her.

And then it was no longer pitch black.

She had arrived in some kind of large basement… There were barely any lamps, and they all shone such dim lighting. Blake squinted her eyes, trying to find out exactly what she was looking at-

Blake covered her nose with her hand, not able to suppress her groan of distaste at that _awful_ smell. It was faint, so faint that no humans would be able to smell it. But, unfortunately for her, she was no human.

 _What even is that smell?_ For the life of her, she had never picked up on such… _weirdness._

But then her disgust was swept away… replaced by something far worse…

Blake had found the missing faunus…

And they…

They were _locked up in prison cells._

"What…?"

* * *

 

Now that Yang was inside, the scary, abandoned warehouse didn't seem so scary at all… nor did it even looked abandoned.

While she wouldn't call it spotless, it did look well-maintained.

This place reminded her of Beacon's training grounds, with weapons lined up, ready to be used. There were a couple of different-sized target practices, and punching dummies as well.

She had to wonder; was this what _every_ criminal base looked like?

… She then erased that question from her head, _praying_ that she'd never find out.

Though she had to admit, it was interesting to see how the White Fang behaved when they weren't trying to beat her to death.

Most of them were simply… talking or just… chilling.

 _Focus on the mission,_ the more responsible part of her spoke. _Try and find out exactly what these guys are up to._

The only thing she knew was that something had happened that had caused the shelf to drop down. And that could've been caused by anything ranging from a large, terrifying weapon or a member who'd thrown a tantrum.

She turned towards one of the members - it was the bear faunus from before - and asked, "So… what are you guys doing here, anyway?"

He didn't bother looking at her. "Quiet."

"Hey now, it's just a question."

Now he turned to look at her, and _boy_ did he look pissed. "A question you shouldn't be asking," he growled out, puffing out his chest in a weak attempt to look intimidating.

_Puh-leez, I could beat you up without breaking a sweat. But that's not what Blake wants me to do… Dammit._

Yang pretended to be frightened and scooted away from him, less out of fear and more out of not wanting to cause a scene.

She was here to investigate, not create a ruckus… even when all of these dudes were criminals who _deserved_ to be beaten up…

After aimlessly walking around - and attempting not to glare back at the members who glared at her - she found one member who she knew didn't hate her as much as the others did; the rabbit she'd flirted with.

Bingo!

If anyone could tell her anything, _it's gotta be him! He's the guy!_

She faked nonchalance as she put her hands in her pockets, leaning towards him and wearing a smile too sweet to be genuine. She fluttered her eyelashes and asked, "Did something happen?" She gestured towards the shelf.

She tried to pretend like she didn't know he was staring at her chest and was sleazily grinning at it.

"It's… complicated."

She cocked her head to the side, leaning even more, brushing her own fingers against his. "You know you can tell me about it, right?"

… _Blech._ She _seriously_ hoped all of this was worth it.

"It's just… One of us couldn't take it anymore."

"Take what anymore?" _C'mon, give me something useful here._ When he didn't answer, she prodded even more. "This can't be nothing. I mean, even _I_ can't just drop a shelf like that." She quickly realized her mistake and fixed it. "And I'm sure even one of your strongest guys couldn't lift it."

With aura, maybe they could. But… She was confident none of these guys had an unlocked aura, and even so, it was still a big 'maybe'.

The problem wasn't just that the shelf was lying down horizontally, it was that there were still things being stacked up in the shelf… 'Things' being copper, steel; all sorts of metal objects. Heavy objects. And they were _still_ inside the shelf.

She wasn't kidding when she said she wasn't strong enough to do such a thing.

This… This meant that there was someone _right here_ \- or maybe some _thing_ \- who was stronger than her. _Much_ stronger. And she was starting to regret wanting to help out with one of her partner's shenanigans and coming here in the first place-

Yang caught something out of her peripheral vision.

"Hey… What is that?" she murmured, walking closer towards the shelf, seeing that 'something' becoming clearer and clearer.

"It's nothing," someone warned, but she didn't listen, she didn't care-

Yang stopped.

Three lines, etched on the outer end of it, heavily _denting_ the metal to the point of no repair.

"Holy shit- is that a fucking-"

"That's it!"

Yang was being lifted up again. It was the bear faunus from before. She told herself to _not make a scene, don't make a fucking scene or else this will all be over_ no matter how much she wanted to beat him to death.

She really wanted to punch him in the face. Or kick him in the ass. Either worked.

"Hey, c'mon dude, she-"

"Why the hell are we keeping her here, anyway?!" he growled out.

"You know why!" the rabbit answered calmly despite the heat of the situation.

_Yay. My hero._

"Fine, but if anything goes wrong-"

"Then I'll kill her."

… _Hey, what the hell, Hero?!_

Yang clamped her mouth shut and fought to keep her eyes from glowing red as the asshole strode away.

_Pssh, he doesn't matter anyway. No one in this place does._

And they never would.

The real danger wasn't that they would kill her. These douches wouldn't lay a finger on her.

No. It wasn't them.

It was…

It was the claw mark she'd found on the shelf.

_The claw mark…_

Blake had told her this particular branch was shadier than the rest, more unpredictable, and, potentially, more dangerous...

_Just…_

_Just what have we gotten ourselves into, Blake?_

But as much as she hated to admit it, Yang had done her part, and now all she had to do was wait for Blake. Wait for what, exactly? She herself didn't even know.

_Dammit!_

Yang wanted to call for help, but with all of these people watching her, and the potential of Blake being caught and getting dragged to whatever had caused that huge claw mark… she couldn't take that chance.

She couldn't take any chance other than to sit and wait and look pretty.

… _Double dammit!_

* * *

 

"Hey! Wake up!"

Blake rattled the bars, cursing when none of them stirred.

She'd checked, and she was correct; they were the missing faunus. No doubt about it. Their profiles matched. Each and every one of them.

_But why are they being locked up in here? This doesn't make any sense!_

Her ears picked up murmurings from somewhere behind her. They were still far, but she only had a few seconds if she wanted to hide again.

She considered using her weapon to slash off the bars, but that would make too much noise, and she couldn't afford to make any noise that could be heard by anyone other than her. She had to _stay_ quiet until she had a solid plan. And, right now, she had none other than to freak out.

The prisoners were unwell. She could tell they hadn't eaten or drank or gotten sunlight enough because it showed. It was hard to see in this lighting, but she knew their skin was pale and they were sweating despite the weather. Bones began to poke out of their ribs…

Blake wasn't sure if they'd make the night… It was cold and- and even _she_ couldn't handle the weather…

She needed to get them out.

_Now._

"I apologize for letting one of our test subjects escape."

Blake's heart skipped a beat, but that was her only delay. In a blur of black, she hid in one of the corners, blending in, _becoming_ the darkness.

"She hardly escaped," another voice rang out.

The footsteps grew louder and louder. So did Blake's heartbeat.

She saw the shadows first.

Then, it was the familiar mask of white and red.

Then, she saw the rest.

Two people walked, one following the other. The follower was a dog faunus who wore the same uniform as the other White Fang member.

He didn't catch her attention.

The other one did.

The fox faunus.

Unlike the rest, he didn't wear a White Fang suit. He wore a lab coat.

There was something… off about him. Something within his aura that made Blake knew that _he_ was the one in charge. That _he_ was the leader of this branch. That, whatever twisted, _sick_ things that they were doing, _he_ was the one who suggested the idea…

"But you're right," the fox continued, walking towards the cell as the other stopped walking. He stopped as well when he was near the bar, sliding his fingers against the old bars. "We need to upgrade our security, and… we can't raise any suspicions either. No noise should escape this warehouse. We can't afford to relocate our base, not with what we're bringing."

That last part raised all kinds of alarms in Blake's head.

She tried to search for her Scroll - just to know if it was _right here with her_ and that she could call for help at _any given moment_ \- and sighed when she felt its weight.

She… She wasn't alone in this. Yang was right here with her, even when she was technically above her.

"Of course, Sir."

The fox turned, and for a brief moment, his gaze was directed at where she was hiding. Right into her eyes. And those coal black eyes narrowed.

Her heart didn't beat and she couldn't breathe.

Yet he acted like nothing was wrong as he regarded the other faunus, his back against the bars of the prison, unbothered by what was in it.

"Something troubles you." It wasn't a question.

The dog shifted. "I… fear one of our own has ratted us out or is close to doing so. You see, the more we experimented, the more they became… fearful. Fearful of what we're trying to create. At first, I thought nothing of it. But it has become increasingly hard not to notice their distress."

Experimented. Fearful. Create.

These words pounded in Blake's head.

The fox sighed and massaged his temples. He didn't look upset. In fact, he looked almost… resigned.

"I see… Well, I shall have a talk with each of them personally. For now, gather all of our brothers. I want them to have no fear, and to state explicitly that the subject did not escape. They have nothing to worry about. And we are one step closer to achieving our goal."

"Of course, Sir."

The dog faunus left.

Blake's breathing became heavier as she considered her options - weighing them and the consequences.

This- This _wasn't_ what she wanted. This wasn't what she'd expected. She'd expected weapons. Illegal and highly dangerous weapons that would be used against the public, not _faunus being kidnapped and used as test subjects for Dust-knows-what!_ No. No. She- she wasn't ready for this.

She could just call Professor Goodwitch - her professor, along with the more experienced Huntsmen and Huntresses, would know what to do! And she and Yang could just get _out_ of here! It was the safer option. It was- It was the right option.

"Huntress," the fox spoke, and everything slowed down, "I know you-"

Blake moved.

She cast a shadow clone that drew her weapon and attacked. He, as expected, tried to block it with his bare arms out of instinct. The clone disappeared, and the real her was at his right, her arms that held Gambol moving-

-only to double over as he delivered a swift kick to her stomach.

She jumped back far away before he could land another hit.

They stood face-to-face, their distance preventing them from being able to attack each other.

The situation dawned on her.

She had been caught.

_No…_

This man, whoever he was, must be experienced. It was hard to read him due to her own distress.

Maybe he wasn't as strong as her or as fast, but Blake knew he must have _some_ form of combat experience, otherwise, he wouldn't pose such a threat and be able to lead.

Blake's thoughts were jumbled and inconsistent.

Her eyes darted back to the prisoners, the innocent faunus who never wanted this, who was… who was _experimented on_ like- like _animals_ …

Blake needed a key to let them out. She didn't have one. But he did.

"Let them go."

Civilly negotiating with an enemy wasn't something she was fond of, but it had to be done. The prisoners were her priority, not him.

These people… They weren't fed properly, if at all. But more than that they were experimented on, and… whatever it was that was being pumped into their system… it needed to be flushed out. As soon as possible. _Before it's too late._

The awful smell… Blake only now realized it came from the man in front of her, on the small bag he held. Whatever was in that bag… it was dangerous.

They needed help.

Getting them - and she herself along with Yang - out was the smart move, not fighting him.

The fox caught her eye and grinned.

Then, he fished an object out of his pockets; a key.

Blake meekly gasped, the grip of her weapon loosening as her shoulders slumped just a little.

His grin grew.

He put back the key. "No can do. They're _mine_."

She burned with rage but kept it all away, knowing that getting emotional in this type of situation would _never_ do any good. She swallowed, looked at the prisoners as her brows furrowed before staring at him again. "What the hell are you even doing to them?!"

He was unfazed. "Nothing bad."

"Nothing bad?!" she echoed incredulously. "They're unconscious! And they're going to die if you keep pumping up drugs in their system! What is wrong with you!? Why are you doing this to our own _kind_?!"

The smug grin was wiped off from his face. He looked offended. "I'm trying to make us stronger, faster, _better._ " Even though he looked and talked in a calm manner, Blake knew he was anything but.

Blake's eyes narrowed into slits. The rage burned inside her, but this time, _she let it_.

Negotiating was no longer an option. Even if it still was… she didn't want to take it. Not with someone like _him._

"You're insane," she hissed.

His eyes narrowed as he took a fighting stance akin to boxing.

The hands clutching her weapon tightened.

He smirked, mocking her.

And…

They began.

It was Blake who moved first, summoning another clone to 'attack' him, then two more, just to throw him off-guard. They danced around him, throwing punches and kicks which he avoided.

The clones were meant to disorientate him and they did.

He aimlessly punched and kicked, wanting to take any chance of hitting her who he assumed was the real her. But they all avoided his every attack.

The real Blake waited at a distance with uneased nerves.

She waited, holding her breath, already taking an attacking stance…

And then she took her opportunity, striking him with her swords. His aura kept him from bleeding, but it didn't keep him from being thrown back out of the collision's impact.

She didn't give him a chance to recover and struck again. Once. Twice. Thrice.

She kept attacking, showing no mercy.

She could hardly call this a fair fight.

She was in her prime, and he was not.

She came here cautious of a fight - prepared to deliver one - and he was not.

Under a more normal circumstance, she was certain he would be able to defeat her.

And because of that, she was glad this was no normal circumstance.

The element of surprise was the only thing keeping her from losing this battle…

It was also what eventually led to him falling down to the ground face-first, his Aura depleted as his forehead bleeding from the impact. He was conscious but in too weak of a state to be standing up, much less attack her.

He wasn't able to stop her from getting the key and using it to open the rusty metal door.

Blake ran inside, not wanting to waste any more time.

They looked worse now that she was closer.

She fought nausea away as she realized that these people - people who only wanted to live peaceful normal lives - had been… had been…

She shook one of them, and, to her relief, he stirred.

"Hey," she whispered almost soothingly. "I'm here to get you out."

The others began to stir as well. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Good. They were all alive. With practiced hands, she released their cuffs as they began to move to sit down, some even managing to stand up on their own as she thought of what her next course of action was.

She couldn't get the prisoners out themselves- there were still White Fang members upstairs. Maybe she could call Yang- or maybe Goodwitch directly.

Yeah. Yeah. That was what she should do. Call the authorities.

Blake grabbed her Scroll and began to swipe down her contacts, wishing that there were any signal this far down underground-

"Stop moving."

Blake's breath hitched, not because of the fox's voice, but because, _at the same time_ , all of the prisoners stopped moving.

She turned to him, slowly, afraid that something would happen. All of her instincts told her to run, to get the hell out of here, but she wasn't willing to. She didn't want to abandon these innocent faunus.

The fox was now propped up on his elbow and was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"What are you-"

"Bring her down."

Heavy hands were pressed against her and she was sent stumbling into the hard floor on her back. She yelled in pain and tried to get up but couldn't because of the weight.

Blake looked up- eyes shrinking in a great sense of fear and confusion when she realized…

It was the prisoners who were holding her down.

The people she'd tried to save.

Blake shook herself out of her trance, trying to get up, growing more and more panicked when she couldn't do so. They were holding her from all directions - each and every one of them. These prisoners- they couldn't be this strong- they were just normal civilians- why were they this strong!?

It was like a mountain had been dropped on her, rendering her unmoving even as she fought with all of her might.

Their unusual strength wasn't what scared her the most, though…

No…

It was…

It was their appearance… Their appearance that had radically changed in just a few seconds and was _still_ changing.

Their eyes were bleary and unseeing. Fangs poked from their teeth. Hair that hadn't been there before covered their arms and legs and even parts of their face. They looked like animals.

They looked like _beasts. Like monsters._

Blake yelped in pain when their nails- no, their _claws_ sunk deeper into her skin, penetrating through her aura like it was nothing, weakening her. They grazed her body.

She flailed and tried to gain her breath back even as she bled and bruised.

Yet ultimately, it was futile.

A figure stood on top of her. Her vision was blurry but she could tell he was the fox, the madman who orchestrated all of this. There was a thrill of excitement gleaming in his eyes. It made her stomach feel heavy.

"Stop resisting. _One_ of them is stronger than you _and_ I combined. I doubt you'll be able to fend them off."

She glared and, through gritted teeth, spat, "Fuck. You."

This might be her end.

He might kill her or worse, but she didn't care at this point.

Every muscle in her ached.

Her breath was weak and short. Her heartbeat was so, too.

If… If this really was the end for her…

Then, dammit, she wasn't going to let it end on a weak note.

She hoped the others wouldn't miss her too much…

She hoped Yang wouldn't miss her too much either… Even when a part of her wanted Yang to cry over her.

He kneeled right above her. His eyes piercing through hers. She stared at him without flinching. She wouldn't let herself cower under his gaze. She was too proud for that.

Without warning, he grabbed her by the hair, pulled, then _pushed_ down with brute strength, her head colliding against the ground.

It hurt.

It hurt.

_It hurt._

"There. Now you stop moving around."

Her skull felt like it was cracking and splitting. Her body twisted and contracted against her will - yet these hands kept on pressing, increasing the pressure bit by bit. She couldn't move.

She opened her mouth but wasn't able to hear her own screaming. Her ears rang too loudly.

She tried to see, but could only make out blurry silhouettes. Like blobs of shapes and colors.

She tried to make sense of his words, but she couldn't comprehend all of them.

Then the ringing stopped and her sense of hearing cleared.

"... A powerful Huntress… You say I'm insane, Huntress. But when you get a taste of it, you'll know the only thing insane is Remnant itself."

The ringings went back again. He continued to speak, but she couldn't make sense of his words anymore. Nor anything, really.

But through the ringing, she was able to hear shuffling… and then the sound of a bag being zipped open…

She was passing out and she knew it.

She didn't try to fight anymore, not because she'd given up, but because she simply couldn't move them. Not even a finger.

Everything darkened, like a curtain being pulled over reality.

_Yang…_

_No…_

_I never got to tell her…_

The last thing Blake sensed before she passed out was a stinging pain on her neck.

* * *

Help arrived in the form of blue and red lights that surrounded the building… and the familiar wail of sirens. Usually, Yang would freak out over the cops, because that could mean she'd get busted for drinking underage, and that could lead her to be grounded, AKA _every teenager's worst nightmare._

This time, however, it did nothing but make her smile and whistle cheeringly.

The faunus around her jolted at the sight, staying still for a couple of seconds, likely making sure that they were, in fact, busted, before all hell broke loose.

Everyone was either screaming, shouting, running, or doing all of those things.

_Heh. Idiots._

With a smile, she unbuttoned her coat and let it fall away from her, her smile widening when she heard them all gasp and look at her in shock. To spice things up further, she dramatically flared her Aura and grandly turned Ember Celica to their gauntlet form, cackling when one of them shouted; "Oh, shit, a huntress! She's a fucking huntress! _Fuck!"_

Everything else that came afterward was a chaotic mix of punches, kicks, and laughter… all of which were coming from her.

Beating them all up was like warming up before an actual fight.

Seriously, these guys were weak as heck. Or maybe it was because she was used to fighting stronger guys and gals that this sorry-excuse-of-a-brawl was a piece of cake.

Yang was a bit shocked when she found that the cops had arrived instead of huntsmen or huntresses or Goodwitch. But, _eh, I'll take 'em. Help is help._ They mostly just restrained or handcuffed the White Fang anyway while she had all the fun.

Eventually, all of the bad guys were either unconscious or cuffed.

Seeing that their work was done, she pumped her fist up in the air and cheered. "We did it, Blake!"

Blake didn't respond. In fact, she was nowhere to be seen.

Yang looked around.

"Blake?"

Still, no response other than a couple of strange looks the officers gave her.

_Where is she?_

"Blake?" she tried again, a little louder, but still, no response. Not from the person who truly mattered to her in this large building.

No… No answer.

The tension rose again in her body. The adrenaline she'd been trying to quench shot back up with a vengeance.

She walked to one officer, asking, "Have you seen my partner? She's got black hair, cat ears, and wears a black coat."

The officer didn't answer.

So she moved on to the other one.

And when he didn't answer, she moved onto the next.

She kept asking. Again, and again, and again.

The more time passed, the more her worry swelled.

_No, no, no, no._

_Please- Blake, please be okay, please be okay, Blake._

_C'mon, Partner, where are you- please, just-_

Yang tried calling Blake as she asked around. But still, no answer.

_Either the battery died, or… or…_

_No! I can't think like that!_

"Chief! Check this out! I think we found something!"

She turned just in time and found one of the feds pulling open a curtain to reveal a door.

Her eyes narrowed.

_I know my partner well enough. She must be in there._

She ran, not caring that she'd pushed away a couple of officers along the way. Her heart pounded against her chest, and this time, it wasn't because of a sense of excitement or _thrill_ , it was out of dread and _fear._

"Blake!" she called out as she rushed down, using the light from her Scroll to guide herself.

It was dark. So dark.

But everything wasn't as dark when she'd arrived on the hidden floor. It was… like… some kind of bunker, or a basement.

Yang didn't know where she was, but she already had bad feelings about it.

It took her a while to adjust to the lighting - or the lack of it - but once she did…

She gasped.

Dozens of people lay on the ground. Some unmoving, others doing so with little aim, groaning and mumbling incoherently.

But that wasn't what broke her heart.

It was the person on the very center of it, her clothes torn and grazed, her once flawless skin tainted with scars. Her amber eyes were hidden underneath heavy eyelids.

"BLAKE!"

Loud, fast footsteps echoed in the once-silent space.

A Scroll dropped to the ground, shattered.

Tears dropped as well, not long after.

A finger was pressed onto a wrist, searching for a sign that the girl in her arms was _still_ here- that she hadn't _left._

_Blake- Blake- Blake- Please be okay- Please be okay- I- I can't- You have to-_

Then she felt it.

A beat.

A pulse.

It was small, it was weak, but it was there, and to the exhausted blonde, that was all that mattered.

Yang's head tilted upwards as she sobbed in nothing but relief and happiness. "O-oh, t-thank D-dust…" At this point, she was incoherent.

Yang treated Blake like an old, important relic as she carried her up, careful not to jostle her, lying her down in a table not too far.

She inspected the wounds as best as she could, though, with her eyes blurred as they were, it was no easy task.

"Hey!" she called up, anxieties worsening when she heard no reply. "We need help over here! Please!"

She wrapped her unconscious but alive in a tight bear hug, tears streaming down freely as she wept and sniffled, burying her face in the girl's shoulder.

"Please," she whispered, her voice hoarse, dry, and cracked. "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way…"

She was so, so tired of this. Of having to worry about her partner. Of being separated from her and not knowing if she was okay- if she was even breathing.

_Why did I ever leave you alone, Blake?_

_I'm such an idiot!_

This - everything about this - was a mistake. She shouldn't have let Blake continued on and stray from the mission. Even when she knew her partner wouldn't listen, she should've _tried_ anyway, even by force.

She was tired of this whole White Fang business. She never wanted to hear their names again; she was sick of what it'd done to herself and especially Blake. It had ruined them both in more ways than one.

Blake might've left the White Fang, but _it_ never left her. It made her obsessed and irrational to the point of collapse.

She would never let this happen again. Ever.

She was… she was tired of this shit.

She just- She just wanted to go home. To be with her team. To rest. To study like she was supposed to be.

_This is it._

_This is the last time we'll be doing this._

She'd make _sure_ of it.

No more. No more of these dangerous searches for the White Fang. Not when it cost her _this._

"H-help… Please…" It came from one of the faunus lying on the ground.

Yang shuddered, trying not to let herself burst into flames as she very gently laid down her precious partner, looking at her lovingly and worriedly, leaning into her ears - the feline ones - and whispering, "Rest."

Then, she snapped her head towards who had dared speak, her demeanor changing as rage began to boil inside her.

_They. They were the ones who did this to Blake._

Angry lines filled her face as she flashed her eyes red, meeting them with the eyes of those other faunus, the fire inside of her roaring louder when the faunus whimpered and gasped. _Good_. He should be scared.

"What. Happened?"

He didn't answer her. He made no indication that he'd heard her. He lied there, unmoving. The only indication that he was alive was his rising and falling chest and the slight furrowing of his eyebrows.

She dragged him up by his collar only to give him a punch to the face. He wheezed but remained limp. "Hey!" She gritted her teeth in anticipation as his eyes slowly slid open. "Answer me; What. The hell. Did you do to her?"

She didn't care if he looked like he hadn't eaten for days. She didn't care if he looked so scared of her.

The signs were there. It was obvious. She'd be blind not to miss it. He'd hurt Blake. He and the others. And he was going to _pay._

His brows furrowed a slight bit. "I… didn't mean to…"

Yang gritted her teeth and growled. She was _not_ in the mood for this. Yang pulled her fist back, her gauntlet ready to fire. But she didn't swing. Not yet. She still had questions.

"What did you do to her?"

"He… He made me…" He sounded genuine, not to mention sorrowful. It surprised her. "I had no choice-"

"Miss Xiao Long!"

She was met with a pair of emerald green eyes from above.

It was too dark to see, but from that voice alone and that familiar pair of eyes clouded behind the equally-familiar round glasses, Yang trembled.

"M-Miss Goodwitch?"

The woman ran down the stairs and onto her with such a rush, but it died down when she froze, her eyes wandering through the place as she assessed the situation.

Faunus bodies lying on the floor, likely still breathing. An injured and unconscious Blake Belladonna rested on top of the table.

And… a very confused, very angry Yang Xiao Long, holding a beaten but breathing faunus.

She kept a calm eye-contact with the teen as she ordered, "Put him down."

The teen looked back and forth between her teacher and the man. "B-but he hurt Blake!" Her fists tightened and shook. "They all did!"

She took a step forward, holding her hands out. "You don't know that."

The red eyes glowed. "I'm not an idiot! It's written all over their hands."

Yes. Glynda noticed too; the blood that draped on their fingers - on their sharp nails.

She had a lot of questions. They both did. But now wasn't the time to ask them.

"Please, let him go."

"Blake's hurt badly because of him! Because of them!"

"Which is precisely why you need to let him go." Yang's eyes widened. Glynda used this moment to drill some sense into her head. "They will pay for their actions, Miss Xiao Long, I assure you." Her eyes drifted to the other teenager, her face morphing into a more gentle and saddened expression. "We need to tend to her wounds. As soon as we can. She needs you, Miss Xiao Long."

Yang's eyes watered as she stared at her teacher.

She looked back at her partner, who hadn't moved even an inch other than breathing, and even then, it was too weak for anyone's comfort.

The fist weakened, then loosened and hung limply at her side.

"B-Blake, she-"

"She'll be alright. We'll make sure of it." Glynda gave her a nod. "It's over, Miss Xiao Long. You've done everything you can. Leave the rest to me."

Yang's shoulders sagged. She dropped the unconscious faunus. Glynda cringed at how her student rather roughly treated him but raised her concerned eyebrows when she heard her student sighed as she looked down solemnly; uncharacteristically.

"I'm…" She swallowed before tilting her head to look up at her teacher again. "I'm sorry about this. All of this." She gestured vaguely.

Glynda's gaze softened. She strode towards her reckless student and put a gentle arm on her shoulder. "You two are unharmed, for the most part, and that's all that matters." She released the hand and, before assessing Miss Belladonna's damage, said, "It's over. You need not to worry."

Only two words truly mattered to Yang as she watched her professor - and now savior - try to save Blake.

_It's over._

It really was… wasn't it…

There was no reason for her to be worried…

So why was she?

_It's over._

For some reason, she doubted that.

* * *

 

Yang wouldn't let go of Blake's hand even as the paramedics treated her wounds. They were on the Bullhead; she, Professor Goodwitch, her partner, and the nurses assigned to treat her.

The pilot had waited until Blake was secure before it flew off, the passengers being the partners and their professor.

Glynda gazed at her two students. Students that should never have been involved in this.

She wanted to yell at them for disobeying orders, and putting themselves at risk, _and_ each other at risk, _and_ other innocent people at risk, _and_ more things to be yelled about, but looking at them now, both the states of Miss Xiao Long and Miss Belladonna, it was hard to be anything other than sympathetic.

She was looking at the conscious half of the duo, who was failing miserably at pretending to be fine. Her student was still on edge, and she doubted it was because of the fight itself. No, she was guarded, and not merely for herself. She jumped at the slightest bit of sound. Her posture was stiff and forced. The teen herself might not notice, but her hands had been balled into fists for so long, her knuckles were turning white.

Glynda knew it fell on her hands to ease the girl's nerves.

She began by saying, "Miss Belladonna will be fine." Yang's eyes fell on hers, shocked and attentive. "Her most major injury is a concussion, the rest are mere… cuts that had penetrated through her aura. I'll arrange for her to be put in your dorm," she suggested, her lips curling upwards when the blonde soundlessly gasped, "if you're able to care for her, that is."

"You can do that?" Yang asked. The idea of Blake being placed in their dorm for recovery instead of the creepy hospital room sounded appealing to her. Being within the cares of her teammates - her friends - instead of some random nurse… Yeah. She'd like that.

Plus… she didn't really think she'd be able to handle being so far away from Blake…

Yang didn't care if she had to learn how to do some complicated, weird medical stuff so long as Blake was with her- with all of them.

Glynda tilted her chin up. "I might not be the headmaster, Miss Xiao Long, but I still hold authority."

Yang blushed but smiled nonetheless - even if it was more awkward than anything else. "Right. T-thank you, Miss Goodwitch." She stared back at Blake again, trying not to worry too much about the cuts she had, trying not to think about who could possibly get the jump on Blake, not to think about who was strong enough to be able to cut through her partner's aura…

Blake was taped with bandages. All of them were on her upper body, which raised more questions. The medical staff had said predicted that these injuries would heal completely by tomorrow.

_Still… the fact that Blake even got these injuries in the first place is…_

Yang swallowed. Trying not to think about it made her think about it more.

"You have permission to ask questions, you know."

She looked up, finding the professor looking at her knowingly. Was she really being that obvious? Yang gulped but then sighed in resignation.

This whole thing… Yang wasn't really sure what she should feel about it.

A part of her was angry because Blake had gotten hurt and she was at least partly to blame for it.

A part of her didn't want to ask. The mission was over. Everything was over. In a couple of hours, she'd be safe in sound in her room anyway, so what was the point?

A part of her was scared of the answers she'd get. Answers regarding the claw marks and why the White Fang members had seemed so distraught and unnerved even before the cops had arrived.

Yet… in the end…

Blake had gotten hurt trying to find out.

She needed to ask. She needed to know. If not for her, then for her curious cat.

"What… What happened? Why did you show up late? Why did the cops show up first?"

"Because they were called first."

Yang frowned, looking down for a while as she mulled it over.

"I... don't think Blake was the one who called them."

"She didn't." Yang looked up. Goodwitch wasn't looking at her. "It was one of the members involved." A heavy silence filled the air. The woman had her fists resting on her hip as she frowned upon it. "He had become… uncomfortable with what he was doing and decided to alert the police. Apparently, it wasn't just him. Many of the members also wanted out, but was fearful of doing so."

Yang was afraid to ask. But she knew that if she didn't, she'd regret it. "What… were they doing?"

Goodwitch frowned, her shoulders sagging. "We're unsure. As of now, the authorities are still investigating it."

"Oh," whispered Yang. "Then… How did _you_ get here?"

The woman readjusted her glasses and spoke in a more formal manner. "I was already on my way to your location. Knowing you two, I suspected you'll both try to investigate on our own. Hearing that the _police_ are also on their way there only made me move faster." She frowned at Yang scoldingly. "It was hard not to get worried."

Yang tensed at that last part and looked away in utter embarrassment. "Sorry," she muttered. Then a thought occurred to her. Something she saw that needed to be talked about - that needed to be told. "Professor, I saw something. One of the shelves, it look- it had what looked like claw marks o-"

"We know, Yang." The girl's jaw hung as she openly stared at her. Glynda's face softened as she stared back. "Rest assured that we're working on it, alright?"

Yang wasn't rested assured. "But they could be-"

" _Listen._ " Glynda leaned forward and touched the girl's shoulder, squeezing it. Yang flinched at the contact, only now noticing how tense she'd been. "This is _none_ of your concerns. Not anymore. You did your best. Both of you." She briefly glanced at the resting girl. "And now, it's not up to you to work on this anymore. It's up to us. Don't fret. Everyone was captured. Everyone."

Yang… still had loads of questions. Was that really a claw mark she saw? Who had made it? Who was strong enough to cause such a damage? The people down in that room - the missing faunus - what were they trying to do to Blake? What were this branch's goals? Did they really capture everyone?

So many questions plagued her head, but…

She was tired. And, as Goodwitch said, she'd done all she could - both she and Blake. It was over. It should be over for her- for them both.

She just wanted to lay down and rest. She just wanted to go back home.

_Home._

With _Blake._

It took her a while, but eventually, Yang nodded. It was a weak but determined nod.

"... You're right. You're right. Thanks, Glyn- I mean, Miss Goodwitch."

Glynda chuckled at the teen's bashfulness.

"It's no problem, Yang."

The ride continued in silence. Yang's eyes found Blake again. She kept gazing at her partner's unnaturally-still face, willing her to open her eyes. Eventually, those same eyes found themselves looking at those cute, fuzzy pair of cat ears.

Yang found herself smiling in a bitter, nostalgic way.

She remembered it all clearly like it had happened yesterday; they were hanging out together as partners, alone together, walking through the garden when Blake muttered about how she wanted to stop wearing her bow. Yang had been supportive of her, yet Blake still had her doubts, listing off all the what-ifs. In the end, Yang settled to simply tell her that, no matter what, so long as it was her choice and her alone, she would support Blake, no matter what.

Yang hadn't thought that Blake would actually pull through… Her partner had looked so fearful, so uncertain…

Yet, the very next day, Blake came out of their dorm room with a proud stride and no bow. And the day after that. And the day after that. And so forth.

Even until now, Yang wondered what had changed her mind…

She wondered who had given her partner that push…

* * *

 

What woke her was the uncomfortableness. A part of her was confused as to why. She was on a bed, wasn't she? Based on the soft texture against her back, and the even softer, fluffier object her head was resting on.

Why would she be uncomfortable…?

Then, came the pain. Coming from all over her body. It made her regret ever wondering about the uncomfortableness. They were as if small but pointy shards that were pressed against every part of her body. She winced immediately.

Lastly, came the pounding in her head.

She was reluctant to open her eyes, even though a part of her knew she should. She just… she needed to think for a moment, to really clear her head.

_What happened?_

With her just waking up… added with this irritating, disorienting pounding ringing throughout her head… it was… hard to remember.

That said, it didn't mean she couldn't recall anything.

Bits and pieces flew around her, some more vivid than others.

She remembered how it all started.

It was a mission she took as soon as she was made aware of it. A partner-only mission. It just- it lined up so perfectly with what she'd been worrying about- the rumors she'd been hearing about. It was a great way for her to try and find out more without anyone telling her it was too dangerous. Of course she'd taken it.

And her partner had come along with her.

Even if it was a solo mission, Blake doubted the blonde would simply stay and let her investigate. She would've insisted, no matter what.

_Yang…_

Blake remembered the resigned look she had - one directed at her. Once again, she wondered how she could deserve such an understanding, caring partner.

And they…

They had separated…

Blake had needed her partner to distract the guards while she went inside that secret door. The blonde had been successful.

Blake went inside… And she… she found the missing faunus, locked up- tied up- cuffed- _chained_ in cells…

Her memories didn't come so easily after that.

Blake jogged her head even harder.

What came after was like a fever dream. She could only see hazy images and hear hazier noises.

There were… there were two people… coming up to maybe check on the prisoners… Blake had observed as they spoke…

The captured faunus were used as… as experiments of sorts… and- and that they were close to succeeding…

And then…

Had… Had she been found out? Had she attacked them? Or had she called for help?

There was nothing but darkness after that. Blake couldn't remember what she'd seen or hear, but…

She remembered feeling so distraught and confused…

She remembered… disgust and hatred… directed at someone other than herself.

And then… she remembered feeling helpless and weak.

Were… Were that really her memories at this point? Or were they just… nothing more than dreams? Nightmares caused by her passing out?

_What happened?_

… _Where's Yang?_

Amber eyes fluttered open, then they widened when they weren't greeted with the sight of white ceilings but the familiar wooden texture of her partner's bed.

_Am I in my dorm?_

Blake rolled her head to the side, careful not to do it too fast lest the pounding would worsen, her chest heaving in relief when she saw the familiar sight of Ruby and Weiss - the latter sleeping on her back, arms by her side, poised and perfect as ever in her sleep while the latter was basically a snoring starfish.

Blake smiled at the sight. She'd made it… somehow. Both she and Yang- they'd done it. Even if she couldn't remember how, exactly, they _succeeded._

A sudden feeling of uncomfortableness washed over her. Then did she realize that she had adorned several cuts, not to mention she most likely had a concussion, if the pounding, splitting pain in her head was anything to go by. Yeah… These injuries must be what was making her sweat despite the cold weather… These _must be_ the cause of the uneasiness she was feeling…

Soon, the wetness in her face bothered her, and she knew she needed to wash up and dried her face.

It took a lot of effort and precautions to not aggravate her wounds, but she managed to stand up. And when she did, she heard a soft whisper of "Blake?" coming from above.

Slowly, she looked up, finding her partner, who was propped up on her elbow and was looking at her with such a large sense of shock and worry that it recoiled her.

"Hi, Yang…" she greeted in a whisper.

Her partner stared at her, her gaze intense. "You're… You're awake."

Blake frowned. She noticed that Yang didn't look too well. Sure, she wasn't bandaged or bruised like she herself was, but her eyes had bags underneath them, and they were red - not the semblance kind of red.

"Did you get any sleep?"

The question didn't quite register with the blonde. "Are you doing okay? Does your head hurt? What _happened_? Why-"

"Yang, hush," Blake softly chided, gesturing to the other half of the team. "Don't wake them."

The blonde glanced at them for a moment before returning to locking eyes with her. "We're all worried."

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to say.

Yang sighed before letting her head fall back to her pillow, bouncing a bit. She… She had too many questions. But… she knew she had to wait. It was late and… she should catch a much-needed sleep. "We'll talk about it in the morning when you're feeling better." The blonde might not be able to see anything very well, but she knew Blake was still in pain, even when she tried to hide it. Her slow, stiff movements gave it away. Her eyes opened in shock when she heard light footsteps. "Where are you going?"

"The... bathroom."

She flushed and made a small "Oh" sound. She really was worked up, wasn't she? More so than the rest of her team. At least they were able to sleep, even after seeing an unconscious Blake being delivered into the dorm by the staffs of Beacon.

She supposed she was just… scared. Scared that Blake wouldn't wake up so soon - or at all.

But now she had woken up. And she was her normal self. Everything would be okay. This time she was sure of it.

Her heavy eyelids finally closed, and Yang was finally able to get the sleep she'd been craving for.

Blake watched with a small smile as the blonde slowly fell back to sleep, snoring not after a long while. The blonde must be _really_ tired from the mission. They both were.

Quietly closing the bathroom door, Blake finally let herself fully groan out the pain, her posture slackening as hot tears of pain began to blur her vision.

Why was she in such pain?! This- this wasn't any normal pain, she was sure of it! She'd taken far heavier hits before, and it still didn't hurt _this_ much!

No- This was- This was a foreign pain. And it- it didn't even come from the cuts or her head. It came from… _within._

Blake barely made her way to the sink, clutching it as something to balance herself when her legs suddenly feel much weaker - when her entire body felt like it was under some kind of dizzy spell.

Did… Did she have another injury? One she wasn't aware of? But… But that couldn't be possible, could it? What kind of injury would even lead her to this state?

A new wave of sickness washed over her, forcing her to shut her eyes from the pain. It was like there was some kind of coldness inside her, piercing her insides from every way. The strange, unearthly feeling grew, slithering around her body. But Blake couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't scream out in pain, unable to utter a sound in the blinding pain.

_Just- Just focus on your breathing, Blake._

And she did just that.

Even as the pain got worse, blinding her even more to the point where she couldn't feel nor move her body, she just breathed in and out. In and out. In and out.

She… didn't know how long time had passed, but, eventually (and very fortunately)... the pain subsided.

The weirdness she felt inside of her body slowly muted until it was no longer there, and all that was left was the pounding in her head and the stinging pain coming from all parts of her body. Still, she'd take the raw pain over… over whatever _that_ was.

She opened her eyes slowly and was greeted by the reflection of her own face. And she looked horrible; sweating profusely, breathing unevenly, overall looking like she was about to pass out _right at that second._

She took a couple more deep breaths as she let her eyes closed, grabbing a towel and drying her face, sighing at the soft texture against her equally soft skin.

Once she was done, she felt… better. Not okay, and definitely not great, but… well, she was sure she had enough strength to walk back into the bed again, and that was… enough… for now, at least.

She opened her amber eyes with resolve and-

… _Wait…_

_Is that a…_

Blake leaned forward, squinting her eyes at the reflection disbelievingly.

_No… No, that- that can't be…_

_But it's- it's there…_

_No, no, I must be dreaming…_

Blake pinched her cheek. Nothing happened.

_What-? But… How…_

_This- This must be some kind of joke-_

_There's no way- No fucking way…_

But it was no joke, and Blake knew that.

_This… This is real…_

What she was seeing through her reflection…

What was swishing back and forth rapidly - almost nervously - behind her…

Something that wasn't there before, not before that overwhelming pain…

A tail.

… Yes.

A tail.

A fucking tail.

She had a tail.

No, her _reflection_ had a tail. Maybe if she…

Turning to glance behind her, she saw that it wasn't a trick of her mind - it was real.

She. Had. A _tail!_

A real, fucking, black, fluffy tail.

_What the hell is happening?!_

Unbeknownst to her, the craziness had only just begun.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you wish to read the rest of the completed story, here's the link:  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13141500/1/The-Truth-and-What-Matters-More
> 
> Or, if the link doesn't work, then go to FF.Net and search "The Truth and What Matters More", written by ClementineDavidson. It has 17 chapters 87k words.
> 
> If you wish to get ridiculously early access to these stories, then go check out: P a treon . com (slash) ClementineDavidson, where I will immediately post my works right after I've finished them.


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